The Smallest of Worlds
by psav2005
Summary: Chase and Lola first meet at one of the most memorable baseball games of recent time, and they don’t even remember the other. One-shot, Chase/Lola friendship fic.


**The Smallest of Worlds**

**A/N: Hey everyone this is my latest story. Inspiration for this story came from two different places, the first being an author I'm sure everyone knows on this website, Her Name Is Erika. She has said she has been bitten by the Chase/Lola bug, and now because of her and her fantastic Chase/Lola stories I've been bitten by the bug as well. While this isn't a Chase/Lola relationship story it is a Chase/Lola friendship story, and we'll just have to see where it leads to. The other inspiration for this story was a conversation I was having with another author on the site (not a Zoey 101 writer). During this conversation the saying "a small world" kept coming up, so I took the saying, found a sports moment and this story is the result of that. Alright then I hope everyone enjoys the story, and please let me know what you thought of it by leaving a review.**

**Summary: One-shot, Chase/Lola friendship fic. Chase and Lola first meet at one of the most memorable baseball games of recent time, and they don't even remember the other.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of it**

_October 2003_

Chase Matthews wasn't your typical seventh grader.

I mean what other seventh grader lived in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts and was a diehard fan of the team known simply to Boston fans as the "Evil Empire."

Only this one.

Its not really Chase's thought fault though, I mean he grew up in New York City and had been a Yankees fan his entire life. After the first ever Yankees game he went to Chase was hooked on the sport and the team and eventually his dad got season tickets. Chase loved sitting in the outfield so his dad and a fellow employee of his dads got four season tickets in the outfield, spitting the cost among them so each could take their son to almost every game of the season.

But then Chase's dad got the job opportunity of a lifetime and he accepted it, so in the summer between is fourth and fifth grade year the family moved from New York City to Boston. Chase went to school in Boston for fifth grade, and it certainly wasn't a pleasant experience. Every kid in his class that liked baseball was a Red Sox fan, and this of course did not bode will for Chase. Luckily he was able to make friends with the kids in the class that could care less about the sport of baseball. Chase was also very lucky because his fifth grade year was the only one he took in Boston.

Chase's father graduated from Pacific Coast Academy in Malibu, California and wanted Chase to go there as well. His father would brag to Chase about the great times he had there and how they not only made him the man he is but also helped him be in the position he is in today. Chase though had to wait until his sixth grade year to start at PCA, since that was the same grade his father started there, and he just couldn't wait for it to come.

Though Chase was at PCA and his father was in Boston Chase's dad kept the season tickets with his now former employee and he continued to go when he could, and Chase was still able to go when he was home from PCA. Having the season tickets also allowed them to have first rights to their seats for playoff tickets, which always happened.

The Yankees and Red Sox were in a heated 2003 American League Championship Series, and luckily for Chase he got to see game 6 and 7 of the series in person since PCA was on fall break when the games were played, and his dad promised Chase he could come home to see the games if the Yankees made it that far. The series returned to the Bronx New York up three games to two, but Boston was able to force a game 7 winning 9-6, in what would set up an epic final game of the series, that would turn into a classic and one of the most memorable games in baseball history.

Unfortunately for Chase's dad's former employee he was unable to make the final game of the series, but he gave the tickets to a newer employee who was interested in going. When Chase and his dad got to the stadium and headed to their seats in left field they noticed the people who the tickets had been given to, a Latino looking man and his daughter, who looked to be around Chase's.

"Chase why don't you introduce yourself to the young lady, she looks to be your age," his dad said as they made there way towards the seats.

"Ok dad," Chase said as he walked by the girl's dad, as he heard his dad introducing himself, as he smiled at the young girl.

"Hi there my name is….." Chase started to say as he tripped over a cap that was in the wrong place at the wrong time has he well to the ground.

"Oh my are you ok, I'm so sorry that was my cup I should have moved it the young girl said as she helped Chase up.

"It's ok really, I'm a very clumsy guy, I'm always falling down," Chase said with a laugh.

"So what were you going to say your name was," the girl asked.

"Oh yeah my name is Chase, Chase Matthews," he said.

"I'm Lola Martinez, nice to meet you Chase," Lola said as she extended her hand and the two shook hands.

"So I'm going to guess you're a Yankees fan as well," Chase said pointing to Lola's Yankees shirt.

"Yeah, we actually just moved to New York and I actually didn't get into the sport until we got here," Lola said. "So where are you from in the city," Lola asked.

"Well I actually live in Boston now, but I was born here," Chase said.

"Being a Yanks fan in Boston, ouch," Lola said.

"Yeah it has had its bad moments but at least I go to school in California now," Chase said.

"California?" Lola questioned.

"Yeah I go to Pacific Coast Academy, it's an all boy's boarding school, but I hear they might let girls in starting next year, my dad went there that's why I go there now," Chase answered.

"That's sounds so cool, I hope they let girls in soon, sounds like the place for me to be, out in California, since I want to be an actress when I get older," Lola responded.

Lola continued to talk about wanting to be an actress while Chase talked about his interests in music and writing until the game started.

Once the game started Boston took control of it early and withstood the Yankees comeback attempts as Boston took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the eight inning. To the surprise to most Boston kept their star pitcher Pedro Martinez in the game even though he had over 100 pitches in the game. Just five outs away from the World Series it all fellow apart of Boston, started all by the man simply known as Mr. Yankee, Derek Jeter.

"Jeter flies it to right...Nixon, back on the run, it's over his head! Jeter will dig for second, he will hold there with a double!"

"The 2-2...into center field, Damon will play it on a hop, Jeter will come to the plate...it's a two-run game!"

"Ripped into the right field corner, fair! Bernie Williams will dig, it's a ground-rule double! It's second and third as the Red Sox catch a break as that ball hops out of play. But the tying runs are on second and third with only one out here in the 8th!"

"A flare into center field...out is Walker, he won't get it! The base running of Matsui...he comes home, nobody covers second, tie game!"

Just like that the game went from 5-2 Boston to a 5-5 tie.

"Oh my god this is amazing," Chase yelled to Lola over all the cheering fans, which included their parents.

"I know, this is the best game ever, you at our dads they are going nuts," Lola said as the two laughed at their fathers.

Neither team would score in the ninth inning so the game went to extra innings, and neither team scored in the tenth inning, and Boston was unable to score in the top of the eleventh inning. It was now the bottom of the eleventh inning and the bases were empty as Boston pitcher Tim Wakeland faced New York hitter Aaron Boone. History was about to be made as one of the most dramatic scenes in baseball history was about to take place.

"Wakefield's first pitch to Boone, Boone hits it to deep left field; this could be it, ITS OUTTA HERE, ITS OVER, THE YANKEES HAVE WON THE PENANT. Aaron Boone has written his name into Yankee and baseball lore, hitting an ALCS winning walk-off home run in the eleventh inning to send the Yankees to the World Series!! Final score Yankees 6, Red Sox 5!!"

Meanwhile out in left field everyone knew the ball was gone as soon as it was hit as everyone started going nuts. As soon as the ball landed the entire section, as well as the entire just erupted, they had all just been witnesses to baseball history.

And Chase Matthews had caught the ball.

"I GOT THE BALL, I GOT THE BALL," Chase screamed as he held it up and began jumping up and down to celebrate with the rest, as the two new friends Chase and Lola hugged.

Once everything finally calmed down the four final left the stadium before bidding farewell to one another.

"Oh Chase this has been like the best night of my live, I wise it would never end," Lola said.

"I know it's been crazy I can't wait to wear this Yankees ALCS champ's shirt back at PCA," Chase said.

"Yeah, its too bad we wont get to see each other again though, unless we somehow get tickets again when you're back in town," Lola said in a sad voice.

"Its ok we'll stay in contact, we each have the others AIM names, and if PCA starts letting girls you'll be able to come," Chase said.

"I know, I'm still sad though, I mean we just met," Lola said.

Chase then took the baseball out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"Here I want you to have the ball," Chase said as he put it in her hands.

"Oh my god Chase, thank you so much, but why?" Lola asked.

"So you'll have something to remember me by," Chase said.

Lola then had her dad take a picture of the two new friends with the ball. The two then hugged one more time before going their separate ways.

The two did message each other online, but soon lost contact during their eighth grade years. When Lola got to PCA their freshmen year each had new messaging names. Even though each told the other their name and where they were from when they were reintroduced it just didn't click for either of them for some reason. Also Lola didn't unpack the baseball and the picture until their senior year when she finally found them again, which lead to this…..

_October 2008_

Chase, his girlfriend Zoey, and Lola were all hanging out in Zoey, Lola, and Quinn's room one night. Zoey then stepped out for a second and Chase got up and started looking around at some of the new stuff his girlfriend put up in her part of the room. Chase then started looking at some of Lola's new stuff.

Then he noticed the baseball, it was in a glass case and the ball had the 2003 ALCS logo on it. He then looked at the picture, in a frame next to it. As Chase looked at the photo it all came back to him.

"Oh my Lola how could we be some stupid?" Chase asked.

"What are you talking about, I think we all did fine on that math test," Lola responded.

"Not about that, about this," Chase said as Lola looked over to see Chase pointing at the two ideas.

"But Chase what do you……" Lola said as it finally clicked with her.

"Oh my god Chase," Lola screamed as she ran to her friend and hugged him.

"I can't believe we forgot about this, and that it never clicked once you got here, I mean we told each other our names again and where we were from again, and yet it somehow didn't click," Chase said in astonishment.

"Wow Chase, just wow, we sure are something, not even remembering something like this when its standing right in front of our face," Lola said as she just shook her head in disbelief.

"Well Lola you know what they say, it's the smallest of worlds," Chase said as the two handed back to the couch to watch TV and talk about the forgotten moment meeting now remembered.

**A/N: Alright everyone that's my story I hope you enjoyed it. I hope there wasn't too many errors, I finished it at 2:30 in the morning and was too tried to read it over again, just wanted it up. If there are any big time errors just let me know about them. Again thanks to everyone who read this, I hope you enjoyed and please leave a review.**


End file.
